Might the Harbor 20 be the VW Beetle of sailboats ?

Upgrades to 

the Harbor 20

There have been more than 100 upgrades to the Harbor 20. A table at the end of the article lists 18 key upgrades and when they were first implemented. These significant upgrades are :

• Hoyt Jib Boom 
• positive flotation, 
• 100% vinylester resin, 
• stainless steel chainplates, 
• and Torqeedo 1003 motor option.

Hoyt Jib Boom:

Starting with Harbor 20 number 120, the Hoyt Jib specifications were upgraded. Since H20-120 the Jib Boom is manufactured in a 29 step process. This multi-step process follows the same specifications that parts for Air Force jet engines use. W.D. Schock's suppliers for the Jib Boom process have been qualified by both the DOD and NASA. W.D. Schock's Heat Treater is the largest heat treater in the world. This manufacturing process insures each Jib Boom remains within exacting tolerances. 

The upgraded Jib Boom material is a aircraft grade aluminum with an ultimate tensile strength of at least 42,000 psi and yield strength of at least 35,000 psi. the fatigue limit under cyclic load for the Jib Boom as 14,000 psi for 500,000,000 completely reversed cycles using a standard RR Moore test machine and specimen.  The Jib Boom material was selected after careful study. 

Also starting with H20-120, following discussion with the class leadership at the time, each Jib Boom was installed at the class legal maximum above the deck. This was the factory standard installation height until recently. After extensive discussion with Class leadership, the Jib Boom height is now set to class minimum above deck. This new height was first installed on H20-345.  All new Harbor 20s coming from the factory are set to these revised tolerances. This assures complete continuity and maximum performance.

Positive Flotation:

Positive Flotation has been offered as a option since Harbor 20 - 150. 21 cubic feet of closed cell foam is installed to insure the boat is unsinkable. Very few keelboats are able to fill with water and remain afloat. Harbor 20s with foam flotation can remain afloat. The positive flotation was successfully field tested. A Harbor 20 with positive flotation was filled with water to validate the engineering calculations.

Since approximately H20-250 all new Harbor 20s have the optional positive flotation installed. Starting with H20-320, the factory upgraded to closed cell flotation wrapped in heavy duty shrink wrap. The total additional weight of the closed cell foam and shrink wrap is a mere 16 � pounds. The shrink wrap insures the closed cell foam remains clean and solid. 

Vinylester Resin:  

100% Vinylester Resin has been used since Harbor 20 number 336, the hulls have been laid up with 100% vinylester resin throughout the hull laminate. 100% Vinylester resin is a significant upgrade to the Polyester used in prior hulls. Polyester resins are used in the vast majority of production boats such as Beneteau, Hunter, and Catalina. Vinyester resins are used by premium boat builders such as Hinkley and Morris. 

The Vinyl ester resins used in the Harbor 20 cost twice as much as polyester resins. 

Vinyl esters are more tolerant of stretching than polyesters. This makes them more able to absorb impact without damage. They are also less likely to show stress cracking. Vinyl ester has fewer open sites in its molecular chain. This makes it much more resistant to water penetration ('hydrolysis') which can cause osmotic blistering. Water penetration associated with polyester resins also leads to increased weight over time. 

The cross bonding of vinyl esters is superior to that of polyesters. This means that vinyl esters bond to core materials much more effectively than polyesters and delamination is less of an issue. The upgrade from Polyester to Vinylester is a significant upgrade for new Harbor 20 owners.

Stainless Steel Chain-plates:

Since Harbor 20 number 330, the boats have been upgraded from aluminum to  stainless steel chain-plates. The size and shape of the chain-plates remained the same. The stainless steel chain-plates are stronger and more compatible electro-galvanically with the stainless turnbuckles for the shrouds.  

Torqeedo 1003 Motor Option: 

The Santa Barbara Fleet wanted a more powerful motor to negotiate the harsher conditions in which they sail. The sail outside in big Pacific rollers under spinnakers. The Torqeedo 1003 fit their requirements. 

The Santa Barbara dealer, Kenny Kieding worked together with Torqeedo and W.D. Schock. Torqeedo was able to customize their 1003 outboard to fit inside the Harbor 20 lazarette. Kenny developed a unique mounting system for the Torqeedo. The Santa Barbara Fleet and W.D. Schock then beta tested the motors for 15 months in retrofitted Harbor 20s. This extensive field testing validated the installation. 

Finally, the first production boat with the upgrade option is Harbor 20 - 345.

The Torqeedo1003 provides about 30%  thrust than the previous trolling motor. The Throttle control has a internal GPS and digital read-out. This read-out provides speed over ground, distance remaining on current battery charge, and time remaining on current charge. 

The table below lists 18 of the more than 100 upgrades made. These Harbor 20 hull numbers listed below were the first to receive the upgrade described in the table:

W.D. Schock continues its more than 67 years of performance boat building production with quality and innovation as  key ingredients. Providing our clients with fun and reliable sailboats for years to come continues to be one of our company motto's. As we enter into our 68th year in business, W.D. Schock looks towards the next 15 years enthusiastically, eager to continue creating quality sailboats and expanding our passion for sailing to thousands of more sailors to enjoy.